Hand puppet



C. STEUBER April 7, 1953 HAND PUPPET 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 9, 1955 INVENTOR.

CHARLES STEUBER April 7, 1953 c. STEUBER 2,633,670

HAND PUPPET Filed Jan. 9, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 69

75 CHARLES STEUBER 70- 1 v 5 40/ W Arm/V 5r Patented Apr. 7, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAND PUPPET Charles Steuber, Kirkwood, Mo.

Application January 9, 1953, Serial No. 330,370

Claims. 1

This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in toys and, more particularly, to hand puppets.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a hand puppet having various movable parts, such as arms, mouth, eyeballs, and the like, and being provided with entirely concealed means Within its body by which it may be held and supported in one hand and the movable elements manipulated by the fingers of the same hand, leaving the other hand and arm of the user entirely free.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a hand puppet in which the body, head, and arms are fabricated as an integraI unit from some suitable flexible material with a rearwardly or downwardly presented opening through which the user may insert the hand and wrist for manipulation of the various movable elements of the puppet.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a hand puppet of the type stated having entirely concealed internal mechanism by which the movable facial elements, such as mouth and eyeballs, may be conveniently manipulated from a relatively remote location within the body of the puppet.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a puppet manipulating mecha-.

nism uniquely adapted for insertion within the head and body of the puppet in such a manner that it can be readily adapted for interchangeable use with various puppets of different external appearance.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a hand puppet constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of ternal puppet-holding and manipulating mechanism constructed in accordance with and em bodying the present invention;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a modified form of hand puppet con- 2 structed in accordance with and embodying the present invention; Figure 7 is a transverse sectional along lin 1-1 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 8--8 of Fig.6;

view taken Figure 9 is a fragmentary front elevational' view of a further modified form of hand puppet constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along line I0I0 of Figure 9;

Figures 11, 12, and 13 are transverse sectional views taken along lines ll-l I, l2-l2, and l3-I 3, respectively, of Figure 10 Figure 14 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line l4-I4 of Fig. 11 of the mouth of the modified form of puppet shown in Figure 9 more particularly illustrating the mouth construction in opened position; and

Figure 15 is a fragmentary front elevationalview of the internal holding and manipulating mechanism of the modified form of hand puppet;-

shown in Figures 9 and 10.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawings, which illustrate practical embodiments of the present invention, A designates a hand puppet preferably comprising a slush-molded hollow body I formed of rubber or of some resilient synthetic plastic, such as a vinyl plastisol, and integrally including two laterally extending arm sections 2, 2 and a head 3. The head 3 opens downwardly to the interior of the body I through a neck opening 4 and sim-i-- larly the armsv 2, 2, open interiorly into the body I through arm holes 5. The arms 2, 2 furthermore, are integrally provided at their extremities with hollow hand-simulating members 6. It

should be understood in this connection that, if

desired, the head alone may be molded of resil ient material such as rubber or synthetic plastic and the body and other parts made of fabric, or

for that matter, even of a rigid material, such as papier-mach, although in the latter instance,

the arms would have to be articulated by any conventional doll-joint or similar arrangement.

The body I is provided at its lower extremitywith a downwardly presented relatively wide aperture or opening 1,. through which the user sizeof the body I and the opening 1 must be sufficient to accommodate the hand with sufiicient freedom or room to permit movement and manipulation and the arms 2 and arm holes 5 are of such size and location that the user may conveniently insert the thumb and one finger respectively through the arm holes 5 to manipulate the arms 2 and hand-simulating members 6.

The head 3 is molded or otherwis suitably formed to simulate the head of a living creature, such as, for instance, the somewhat caricatured representation of a masculine head. The head 3 is provided with a pair of forwardly presented tubular eye sockets 3 and a recessed mouth opening 9, the lower portion of which is integrally joined to a flexible chin 19. As can be readily seen by reference to Figure 2, the mouth recess is a deeply indented element having upper and lower jaw-simulating walls 12, I3, which are joined together at their inner ends and around their lateral margins so that the mouth may. in efiect, be opened and closed by spreading the walls I2, 13, apart and allowing them to return to initial position in simulation of the movements of the mouth of a living creature.

Provided for insertion. within the body I is a holding and manipulating mechanism B comprising a vertical handle 14 which may be formed of metal, wood, hard synthetic plastic material, or any other rigid substance and integrally includes two spaced parallel side walls 25 transversely connected along their forward margins by a bight-wall [6 having upper and lower elongated slots l1, l8. Formed preferably integrally with the handle [4 and extending transversely across the upper end thereof is a top plate 19 provided across its rearward transverse margin with an upstanding back flange 2i] and across its forward transverse margin with an upstanding arcuate front flange 2|, which is, in turn, integrally provided with two. transversely spaced forwardly extending tubular sleeves 22, sized and positioned for snug slip-fitted disposition within the eye sockets 8 and terminating just inwardly from the forward margins thereof, substantially as shown in Figure 2. Rigidly attached at its rearward end to the forwardly presented face of the back flange 20 is a flexible blade 23 integrally provided intermediate its ends with laterally projecting side Wings 24, which are, in turn, provided with relatively large apertures 25 of surficient size to permit insertion of thefingers of the user. At its forward end, the blade 23 is integrally provided with an arcuate plate 26 conforming to a segment of a cylinder having a radius substantially equivalent to the length of the blade 23. The arcuate front flange 21 similarly conforms in shape to a cylindrical segment concentric with the plate 26. As will be noted by reference to Figures 2 and 3, the plate 26 is positioned symmetrically with respect to the blade 23 so as to extend equidistantly on opposite sides thereof and is located directly behind the eye hole openings formed by the tubular elements 22, being of sumcient vertical height to extend slightly above and below the'upper and lower margins of such openings and act as a complete closure or screen thereacross. Finally, the forwardly presented face of the plate 26 is imprinted in any suitable manner with a pair of colored circles 2's simulating the pupils of the eye and being of relatively small size with respect to the interior diametral size of the tubular elements 22, so that when the plate 26 is swung to and fro in the horizontal direction, the eye pupil simulating circles 2! will give an illusion of movement to and fro and the hand puppet will thus seem to move its eyeballs to the right and to the left. In this connection, it should also be noted that the length of the top plate I9 is such that when the tubular elements 23 are snugly inserted within the eye sockets 8, the rear flange 20 will be seated snugly against the inner surface of the back portion of the head 3 so that the entire mechanism B will be snugly and securely held in place without further means of attachment, although it will be evident that additional means of attachment may be employed if desired.

Rockably mounted between the side plates l5 and extending outwardly through the opening I! is a jaw-actuating bar 28, provided upon its outer end with an upwardly presented spatulate plate 29 adapted for snug-fitting engagement upon the under face of the jaw-wall !3. As will be seen by reference to Figure 2, the plate 2% and the for- Ward end of the bar 28 are shaped to fit into the interiorly opening space formed by the juncture of the lower jaw-simulating wall 83 and the chin l0, so as to cause thelatter to move up and down responsive to swinging movement of the bar 23. At its rearward end, the bar 28 is pivotally connected to the upper end of a downwardly extending link 30 pivotally connected at its lower end to the rear end of a trigger-bar 3| which is, in turn, pivoted between the plates I5 and is integrally provided with a, downwardly and forwardly projecting finger-grip 32 extending operably through the slot If! in the bight-wall I 6. Adjacent its rearward end, the trigger-bar 3| is provided with an aperture 33 for hooked engagement with the upper end of a tension spring 3 which is, in turn, hooked at its lower end around a pin 35 mounted in and extending between the side walls 15.

The trigger-bar 3! is located somewhat below the level of the arm holes 5 and the general contour and shape of the handle B issuch that it may be conveniently gripped and comfortably held in the palm of the users hand so that the third finger, that is to say the finger adjacent to the so-called little finger, may be used to manipulate the trigger-bar 31 while the thumb and second finger, that is to say the finger adjacent to the index finger, are respectively inserted through the arm holes 5 to manipulate the arms 2. The index finger may then be inserted upwardly through one of the apertures 25, depending upon whether the right or left hand is being used. Thus, it will be evident that the holding mechanism B and the user's hand will be entirely concealed within the body I. By appropriate manipulation of the trigger-bar 3|, the mouth of the puppet can be made to open and close in the simulation of talking or eating and similarly by appropriate lateral wiggling of the index finger the blade 23 can be swung to the right and left, thereby giving the appearance of eye movement. Finally, by appropriate manipulation of the thumb and second finger, the puppet can be made to move its hands and arms. Because of the convenience with which the various moving parts are located, it is possible for even a young child to attain suflicient manual dexterity to accomplish all of these movements with a relatively small amount of practice and, as a result, the puppet A has exceptional play and entertainment value.

If desired, it is possible to provide a modified form of hand puppet A, which is substantially similar to the previously described hand puppet A, comprising a body portion I, arms 2', head 3' with a neck opening 4' and arm holes 5, all substantlally identical to the corresponding elements of the previously described puppet A. Provided for co-operation with the modified form of puppet A, is a modified form of supporting and manipulating mechanism 13', integrally including an elongated substantially vertical handle 36 formed of a hard molded plastic, stamped sheet metal, or other rigid material, and integrally including a bight-wall 31 and two spaced parallel side walls 38, in effect, forming a forwardly opening channel-shaped element having a, downwardly and rearwardly curved contour adapted to fit conveniently into the hand for holding purposes. Rigidly secured to and extending horizontally across the top of the handle 36 is a top plate 39 provided across its rear transverse margin with an upstanding back flange 40 and across its front margin with an upstanding front flange 4| of arcuate contour and having forwardly projecting tubular elements 42 for snug-fitting disposition within the eye sockets 8. In the area just above the handle 36, the top plate 39 is provided with a forwardly extending slot 43 and the blght-wall 31 of the handle 36 is similarly provided, directly below and to the rear thereof, with a downwardly extending companion slot 44. Mounted in and projecting vertically through the top plate 39, rearwardly of the slot 44, is a vertical stud 45 provided on its upper end with a diametrally enlarged head portion 46 for retentive abutting engagement with the upper end of a bearing sleeve 41 rotatably mounted upon the upper portion of the stud 45 and formed integrally upon the rearward end of a horizontal rocking plate 46 which is, in turn, integrally provided at its forward end with an upstanding arcuate member 49 similar in function and shape to the arcuate plate 26 of the previously described hand puppet A and similarly being shiftably located directly behind the tubular elements 42 and being imprinted with suitable indicia for simulating the pupils of the eyes. In the area directly above the handle 36, the rocking plate 48 is provided with a diagonal slot 50, one end of which is substantially coincident with the rear end of the slot 43 when the plate 48 is in centralized position, as shown in Figure '7.

Rockably mounted upon a transverse bearing pin 5|, extending horizontally between the side walls 38 of the handle 36, is a first trigger-bar 5 52, the lower end of which extends downwardly and outwardly in front of the handle 36 and the upper end of which is provided with a reducedsize pin-like element 53, which projects upwardly through the slots 43 and 59. Adjacent its upper end, the first trigger-bar 52 is provided with a laterally projecting ear 54 for hooked engagement with the forward end of a tension spring 55, which is, in turn, hooked at its rear end around the downwardly projecting end of the stud 45 for normally urging the trigger-bar 52 rearwardly to the position shown in Figure 6.

Similarly pivoted upon the pin 5| is a second trigger-bar 56 which extends downwardly and forwardly at its lower end to a position conveniently in front of the handle 36 and adjacent such lower end, the trigger-bar 56 is provided with a laterally projecting ear 5'! for engagement against one end of a hair-pin spring 58, which is, in turn, abuttingly engaged at its other end against the inner face of the bight-forming wall 3'! of the handle ,36 to bias the trigger-bar 56 forwardly in the position shown in Figure 6. 'At its upper end, the trigger-bar 56 is provided with a forwardly extending jaw-actuating bar 59 having a spatulate transverse plate 99 adapted for more or less snug-fitting engagement with the chin portion of the puppet doll A, also substantially as shown in Figure 6.

In operating and manipulating the-puppet doll A, the user may insert the hand and wrist upwardly into the body I and grip the lower portion of the handle 36 so that the little finger will hold the handle securely and comfortably against the palm while leaving the thumb, index, second and third fingers free for insertion respectively through the arm holes 5' and application against the trigger-bars 52 and 56. The thumb and index fingers ordinarily will be found most suitable for use in manipulating the arms 2' and the second and third fingers can be conveniently applied to the first trigger-bar 52 and the second trigger-bar 56, respectively. By appropriate movement of the fingers, the jaw, eyes and arms of the puppet can be caused to move in any manner which may be desired by the user. Since the actuating mechanism is located within the body I where it is more conveniently accessible to the users fingers, it becomes possible to manipulate the several elements of the puppet from a substantially centralized location, all of which is conducive'to the convenience of the user as well as simplicity of operation.

It is also possible to provide a further modified form of hand puppet C, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, and which comprises a body 6| having arms 62, a head 63, a neck opening 64 and arm holes 55, all substantially similar to the corresponding elements of the previously described hand puppets A, A. The head 63 is provided in its forward wall with a pair of substantially circular eye holes 66 and a mouth recess 61 extending inwardly and including a somewhat bulb-like closure or wall 68, which is somewhat thinner than the rest of the hand puppet C and, in effect, forms a relatively more flexible membrane-like structure around the mouth recess 61.

Provided for insertion within the body BI is a holding and manipulating mechanism D comprising a substantially vertical handle 69 integrally including a'rear transversely extending bightwall 10 and spaced parallel side walls H. The handle 69 is curved downwardly and rearwardly for conveniently and comfortably fitting the hand of the user and resembles a forwardly opening channel-like structure. Rigidly affixed to the upper end of the handle 69 is a substantially circular top plate 12 of substantial thickness and of such dimension as to fit snugly and tightly within. the neck opening 54. Rigidly mounted in and extending upwardly from the rear portion ofthe top plate 1-2 is a vertical post 13 provided in its upper end with a forwardly extending flexible blade 14, which is, in turn, rigidly pro" vided at its forward end with an arcuate eyeball plate 15 located directly behind the eye openings 66 and being provided with suitable eyeballsimulating indicia which are visible through the eye openings 66. Rotatably journaled in and extending vertically through the top plate 12 is a shaft 16 provided at its lower end with a forwardly extending actuating arm 11 having a finger button 18. Pinned or otherwise rigidly fastened to the upper end of the shaft 16 is a forwardly extending rocker arm 19 which is, in turn, provided at its outer end with an upwardly extending slotted or clevis-like plate 86 which straddles the blade 16 and causes the latter to swing back and forth as the finger button 18 is similarly pushed from side to side to rotate or oscillate the shaft 16'. The plate is thus swung back and forth behind the eye openings 68 in simulation of eye movement, substantially as indicated by the arrows in Figure 11.

Shiftably mounted and extending vertically through the top plate 12 is a vertical rod 8| securely fastened at its lower end by means of a pin 82 in a bar 83 of rectangular cross sectional shape which is, in turn, shiftably mounted in an L-shaped bracket 84 attached to one lateral face of the handle 69 At its lower end, the bar 83 is rigidly attached to a horizontally extending handle-plate 85. Pinned or otherwise rigidly attached to the upper end of the rod 8| is a forwardly extending arm 86 which is provided at its outer end with a vertical transparent plate 81, the upper portion of which is painted, printed, or otherwise decorated to give the appearance of an eyelid having eyelashes and extends between one of the eye openings 66 and the plate 15. Encirclingly disposed around the rod 8| in endwise abutment at its lower end against the upper face of the top plate 12 is a compression spring 88, which is, in turn, abuttingly engaged at its upper end against a washer 89 held in place upon the rod 8| by a pin 98. The spring 88 normally biases the rod 8! upwardly so that the painted or decorated portion of the plate 80 is substantially above the upper limit of the eye openings 66 with the eyelashes barely visible at the top portion thereof. In this position, the eyeball-simulating decoration upon the plate 15 may be clearly visible through the transparent lower portion of the plate 81. However, when the handle plate 85 is pressed down by the finger of the user, the plate 81 is lowered and the decorated portion moves down behind the eye opening 66 to give the appearance of a winking eyelid.

Rigidly mounted in the top plate 12 and extending vertically upwardly therefrom, forwardly of and in line with the post 13, is a short auxiliary post 9| for rockably supporting a jaw-actuating arm 82, which is journaled upon a pin 93, carried in the post 9| and extends more or less horizontally forwardly therefrom, being rigidly provided at its forward end with a button-shaped abutment member 94 adapted for seated engagement within the jaw of the head 63. At its rear end, the arm 92 is provided with an upward extension 95 having a substantially vertical slot 95 for receiving a pin 97 which is fixed in and extends horizontally from the lateral face of an actuating bar 98 which, in turn, extends downwardly through a slot 99 formed in the top plate 12 and through the handle 69, being pivotally carried by a pivot pin E00, mounted in and extending horizontally between the side walls H. At its lower end, the actuating bar 98 projects forwardly in front of the handle 69 and is there provided with a finger button I0 I.

In the case of this hand puppet C, as in the case of the previously described hand puppets A, A, the user may insert his hand upwardly into the body El and grip the lower portion of the handle 69, holding it against the palm by means of the little finger and inserting the thumb and index finger through the arm holes 65 to actuate and manipulate the arms 62. The second and third fingers can be utilized for manipulating the finger buttons 18, It I, and the handle plate 85 to cause the puppet doll C to move its mouth, shift its eyeballs and wink, in whatever sequence or combination of movements as may be desired.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the hand'puppet maybe made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A hand puppet formed to resemble a living creature and comprising a hollow body, a hollow head communicating with the body through a neck opening, hollow arms each extending laterally from and communicating with the body through an arm hole of sufficient size to permit the insertion of a finger on the hand of the puppet operator into the arm for manipulation thereof, said head being provided with forwardly presented eye openings and a recessed mouth having a movable wall portion, a rigid handle mounted in the body and head, mouth-actuating means carried by the handle for engagement with the movable wall portion of the mouth for causing said movable wall portion to move so that when viewed from the front the puppet will give the visual effect of opening and. closing its mouth, means operably mounted on the handle for manipulating said mouth-actuating means and having a portion located below said arm holes for actuation by another finger on the said hand of the puppet operator, a laterally rockable plate mounted within the head directly behind the eye openings and having indicia simulating eyeballs, and means connected to said plate and operable by another finger on the said hand of the puppet operator to permit rocking of said plate so that when the puppet is viewed from the front the eyeball-simulating indicia will give the appearance of eye movement, said body being provided with a relatively large opening for re ceiving the hand and wrist of the puppet operator, said last-mentioned opening being so located as to enable the fingers of said hand to operatively engage the parts to be manipulated thereby.

2. A hand puppet formed to resemble a living creature and comprising a hollow body, a hollow head communicating with the body through a neck opening, hollow arms each extending laterally from and communicating with the body through an arm hole of sumcient size to permit the insertion of a finger on the hand of the puppet operator into the arm for manipulation thereof, said head being provided with forwardly presented eye openings and a recessed mouth having a movable wall portion, a rigid handle mounted in the body and head, mouth-actuating means carried by the handle for engagement with the movable wall portion of the mouth for causing said movable wall portion to move so that when viewed from the front the puppet will give the visual effect of opening and closing its mouth, means operably mounted on the handle for manipulating said mouth-actuating means and having a portion located below said arm holes for actuation by another finger on the said hand of the puppet operator, a laterally rockable plate mounted within the head directly behind the eye openings and having indicia simulating eyeballs, and means connected to said plate and having an opening therein within said head for receiving another finger on the said hand of the puppet operator to permit rocking of said plate so that when the puppet is viewed from the front the eyeball-simulating indicia will give the appearance of eye movement, said body being provided with a relatively large opening for receiving the hand and wrist of the puppet operator, said last-mentioned opening being so located as to enable the fingers of said hand to operatively engage the parts to be manipulated thereby.

3. A hand puppet formed to resemble a living creature and comprising a hollow body, a hollow head communicating with the body through a neck opening, hollow arms each extending laterally from and communicating with the body through an arm hole of sufficient size to permit the insertion of a finger on the hand of the puppet operator into the arm for manipulation thereof, said head being provided with forwardly presented eye openings and a recessed mouth having a movable wall portion, a rigid handle mounted in the body and head, mouth-actuating means carried by the handle for engagement with the movable wall portion of the mouth for causing said movable wall portion to move so that when viewed from the front the puppet will give the visual effect of opening and closing its mouth, means operably mounted on the handle for manipulating said mouth-actuating means and having a portion located below said arm holes for actuation by another finger on the said hand or" the puppet operator, a laterally rockable plate mounted within the head directly behind the eye openings and having indicia simulating eyeballs, and means connected to said plate extending downwardly through said handle and having a portion protruding forwardly from said handle below said arm holes for actuation by another finger on the said hand of the puppet operator to permit rocking of said plate so that when the puppet is viewed from the front the eyeball-simulating indicia will give the appearance of eye movement, said body being provided with a relatively large opening for receiving the hand and wrist of the puppet operator, said lastmentioned opening being so located as to enable the fingers of said hand to operatively engage the parts to be manipulated thereby.

4. A hand puppet formed to resemble a living creature and comprising a hollow body, a hollow head communicating with the body through a neck opening, hollow arms each extending laterally from and communicating with the body through an arm hole of sufiicient size to to permit the insertion of a finger on the hand of the puppet operator into the arm for manipulation thereof, said head being provided with forwardly presented eye openings and a, recessed mouth having a, movable wall portion, a rigid handle mounted in the body and head, mouth-actuating means carried by the handle for engagement with the movable wall portion of the mouth for causing said movable wall portion to move so that when viewed from the front the puppet will give the visual effect of opening and closing its mouth. means operably mounted on the handle for manipulating said mouth-actuating means and having a portion located below said arm holes for actuation by another finger on the said hand of the puppet operator, a laterally rockable plate mounted within the head directly behind the eye openings and having indicia simulating eyeballs, means connected to said plate and operable by another finger on the said hand of the puppet operator to permit rocking of said plate so that when the puppet is viewed from the front the eyeball-simulating indicia will give the appearance of eye movement, a transparent memher having thereon indicia simulating an eyelid with eyelashes interposed between the plate and one of the eye openings for vertical movement with respect thereto, and means operable by a finger on the said hand of the puppet operator for causing the transparent member to move up and down, said body being provided with a relativel large opening for receiving the hand and wrist of the puppet operator, said lastmentioned opening being so located as to enable the fingers of saidhand to operatively engage the parts to be manipulated thereby.

5. A hand puppet formed to resemble a living creature and comprising a hollow body, a hollow head of resilient rubber-like material communicating with the body through a neck opening, hollow arms each extending laterally from and communicating with the body through an arm hole of sufiicient size to permit the insertion of a finger on the hand of the puppet operator into the arm for manipulation thereof, said head being provided with forwardly presented tubular eye sockets and a recessed mouth having a movable wall portion, a rigid handle mounted in the body and having at its upper end a plate provided with a rear portion engaging the back of said head and a pair of forwardly projecting tubular portions extending into said eye sockets to anchor said handle with respect to said head, mouth-actuating means carried by the handle for engagement with the movable wall portion of the mouth for causing said movable wall portion to move so that when viewed from the front the puppet will give the visual effect of opening and closing its mouth, means operably mounted on the handle for manipulating said mouth-actuating means and having a portion located below said arm holes for actuation by another finger on the said hand of the puppet operator, a laterally rockable plate mounted within the head directly behind the eye openings and having indicia simulating eyeballs, and means connected to said plate and operable by another finger on the said hand of the puppet operator to permit rocking of said plate so that when the puppet is viewed from the front the eyeballsimulating indicia will give the appearance of eye movement, said body being provided with a relatively large opening for receiving the hand and wrist of the puppet operator, said last-mentioned opening being so located as to enable the fingers of said hand to operatively engage the parts to be manipulated thereby.

CHARLES STEUBER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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